


words can wait until some other day

by fangirl_squee



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Fix-It, spoilers for the 'extracurricular' arc of bluff city
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:14:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27933718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: Elana comes home.
Relationships: Elena Flores/Hilda Quick
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	words can wait until some other day

**Author's Note:**

> Title from ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time’.

Elana paced back and forth in the alley, out of sight of the few cars driving by. It was late, later even than when she and Mary had managed to drag themselves to the closest motel room to collapse into sleep the night before, the stars just visible above the smog of the mainland. At least Bluff City hadn’t changed so much that the sky showed any difference

She shook herself. Focus. She was here for a reason.

Elana stepped out onto the street, tugging her hood higher to shield her face from anyone who might pass by. She’d been away a while, but it was a Blough City habit she hadn’t been able to shake off just yet.

She looked up at the plain but tastefully-painted townhouse in front of her, checking the address that she’d scrawled on the back of a Donovan’s Dippers receipt. It was a nice place. Good. She was glad that Hilda lived somewhere nice. Franklin’s apartment had been kind of a shithole, when she’d tracked him down to ask for directions to Hilda’s. He’d pulled her into a tight hug too, embarrassing her in front of Merisi. If she’d hugged him back, well, that was just because it was the polite thing to do.

Elana let out a breath. His apartment wasn’t  _ so _ terrible, a little small and a little shabby but Franklin seemed happy enough there. Close to the community college he’d said. He’d started taking art classes, of all things. Apparently years of making his own costumes and weapons had given him a taste for experimental sculpture.

“Weird,” said Elana, wrinkling her nose.

Franklin had laughed. “Good to have you back Champ, I really missed your colour commentary on my life choices.”

“Someone’s gotta do it,” said Elana, “Can’t have you thinking they’re  _ good _ .”

Franklin laughed again, throwing an arm over her shoulders and pulling her into a one-armed hug. She shoved at his side, feeling a grin tug at her lips despite Merisi’s gaze on them. This was just what it was like in Bluff City, Merisi would get used to it.

Someone cleared their throat behind her and Elana stilled, her hands reflexively balling into fists.

“Can I help you?” said the unmistakable voice of Hilda Quick, “you’ve been standing outside my apartment for the past twenty minutes.”

Elana swallowed, trying to tamp down on the squirming in the pit of her stomach. “Didn’t know if you were home.”

“Well obviously I am.”

God, she could  _ picture _ the expression on Hilda’s face without turning around, but what if she  _ did _ turn around and Hilda had a  _ different _ expression, a sure sign that Elana had been away too long, a sure sign that they were strangers to each other again, and-

Hilda put a hand on Elana’s shoulder, and Elana spun around, her hood falling back. HIlda gasped, taking a step back, one hand going to her mouth.

“El- Who are you?”

Elana’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach, heavy and lead. “I- you don’t remember me?”

Hilda took a breath. “I know- I  _ knew _ someone who looked like you. Look, if you’re a shapeshifter, or some kind of illusionist, I don’t find this very funny.”

“I’m not- Hilda it’s  _ me _ ,” said Elana.

“That’s- that’s  _ really _ not funny,” said Hilda, “Just- tell me the truth.”

“I am!” said Elana, “Look, I know it’s been like a year or something, but it’s me, really, I-” She bit her lip, thinking for a moment. “On the first day of class, after you made your big entrance, you realised you didn’t have a pen- or, you thought you’d had one but it’d run out of ink, or something, and so you asked me, and I gave you mine, and then we got busted for talking and you charmed the teacher out of giving me detention.”

Hilda’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

“...Elana?” said Hilda faintly.

“Hi,” said Elana, her voice rasping as the sound pushed its way out of her suddenly-tight throat.

Hilda opened her mouth again and then, without saying a word, stepped forward to pull Elana into a tight hug. Elana felt her face grow hot as she returned it. After a long moment, Hilda stepped back, keeping her hands on Elana’s shoulders.

“You-” Hilda swallowed. “Where have you  _ been _ ?”

Elana opened her mouth and then stopped herself, glancing over her shoulder. The street still looked deserted, but you never knew.

“It’s kind of a long story,” said Elana, “Can I, uh. Is it okay if I come in?”

“Oh! Of course!” said Hilda.

“Or if, uh. I mean, if we’re going to be disturbing anyone, we can go somewhere else.”

“No, no,” said Hilda, waving a hand, “It’s just me.”

Elana felt a rush of relief and then an equal wave of embarrassment as she followed Hilda inside.

Inside, the townhouse was just as nicely-painted and just as bland. Only small touches marked the space as Hilda’s - a postcard of St Paul’s Cathedral on the otherwise bare fridge, her old flight jacket hanging over the back of a chair, a mug of her favourite tea still steaming by the kettle.

“Do you want anything?” said Hilda, “I can’t remember- I don’t think I have any of the soda you like.”

“Water’s fine,” said Elana.

She watched Hilda move across the kitchen, trying to hold herself in a posture that seemed both casual and still. Hilda led them both to the couch, a tasteful navy blue, the cushions stiff enough that Elana felt sure that Hilda must rarely use it.

“So,” said Hilda, “your long story?”

Elana took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly. The story itself, once she’d finished telling it, didn’t feel that long. It was hard to speak for so long with Hilda looking at her so intently, and while they were sitting so close together.

“So I mean, time’s all fucked up there, but for me I think it was maybe like a month, maybe two,” said Elana, “But for you it was...”

“Longer,” said Hilda, her voice soft. “Almost two years, since you and Grouse went missing.”

Hilda was looking down at the empty mug of tea in her hands, running a glossy nail around the rim of the mug. Elana summoned her courage and put her hand over Hilda’s. Hilda inhaled sharply, looking up.

“Hey, I’m back now,” said Elana, “I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. I mean, who knows what else might happen, right? But if something did, y'know, happen, I wouldn't want you to not know that I don't… I mean, we’re going to stick around, me and Merisi, we’re going to start our own PI thing, so I’ll have to find a place here for that anyway. And a place for me too, I guess.”

Hilda frowned. “What happened to the place you used to stay?”

Elana shrugged, aiming for a casual tone. “Marcus moved. No forwarding address.”

She felt Hilda’s hand flex under her’s. “You could- there’s plenty of space here.”

Elana swallowed around her dry throat. “With you?”

“Yes,” said Hilda, “I- Yes. Stay with me.”

The squirming feeling returned to the pit of her stomach in full force. “Uh, thanks, I- it’ll just be for like a couple of days until I can figure out how to get some money together-”

“You don’t-” Hilda’s cheeks flushed, the sight of it driving all thought from Elana’s mind. “I mean, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

“I wouldn’t want to bother you,” said Elana.

“That’s not-” Hilda huffed a breath, running a hand through her hair and then leaning forward to take Elana’s hands in her own. “While you were… away, I had a lot of time to think about what I would want to say to you if I ever saw you again, and I’m not- this certainly isn’t how I pictured saying it, but I-” Hilda took a deep breath. “Stay here. Move in with me.”

Elana was glad she was sitting down, her head spinning like she’d gone eight more rounds with Flagstone. “As… friends?”

Hilda’s cheeks flushed. “I- well, I meant- obviously, I would never-” She took another deep breath in. “It can be as friends if you want but I meant…”

Elana’s chest felt tight. “Oh, like… more than… like dating?”

Hilda’s cheeks darkened, but she huffed a laugh. “Yes. Exactly like that. If you- I wouldn’t want to presume, and I know we haven’t seen each other in- well. You’ve been away. Things change.”

“Not that much,” said Elana.

Hilda laughed, the sound just as bright and charming as when Elana had first heard it, that day at Bluff City High.

“I would- I’d like that,” said Elana. She paused. “Wait, does that mean- did you  _ know _ I had a crush on you, before?”

“Franklin told me,” said Hilda, “After you and Grouse disappeared. I think he was trying to- I don’t know. I think he was trying to make me feel better.”

“How would  _ that _ make you feel better?”

Hilda blinked and then she pressed her lips together, trying to hold back laughter. “Oh, Elana, you-  _ I _ had a crush on  _ you _ , too.”

“You what?”

“I thought I was being rather obvious about it,” said Hilda, “Especially since you clearly remember me making up that story about needing to borrow a pen just so I could talk to you.”

“Wait,” said Elana, “wait, wait- you had a working pen?”

Hilda laughed, her body falling towards Elana’s, her face pressed against Elana’s shoulder. Elana’s arms came up around Hilda’s side of their own accord, drawing Hilda closer. She felt Hilda settle, her wings twitching a little under her loose shirt.

“Yes,” said Hilda finally, “ _ Yes _ , I had a working pen. I just didn’t have a way to talk to you, so I took the ink out of it.”

Elana huffed a laugh. “I wouldn’t have needed  _ proof _ . I  _ wanted _ to talk to you.”

She could just see the edge of Hilda’s smile where Hilda’s face was pressed against her, her hand curled in the fabric of Elana’s hoodie. She pulled herself up, just a little, giving Elana enough warning to be able to duck her head down to meet her. Hilda’s lips were soft against her’s, the sensation of it warming her from the inside out.

“I guess it doesn’t matter,” said Elana, “We talked to each other. It all worked out in the end.”

Hilda smiled up at Elana. “Yes. Yes, I suppose it did.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> come say hi: mariusperkins on most places


End file.
